Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Dan Wiederer talks Bears' 'instantly iconic' wild-card win over the Packers
12 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What was the significance of the Bears' wild-card win over the Packers?
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Dan Wiederer, Bears reporter and senior writer for The Athletic. You're going to be relying on a lot of young players, guys that have to materialize into who they thought they were. The Bears are who we thought they were. On-air contributor for 670 The Score.
We'll mention this mainly because Dan Wiederer said we would mention this nugget.
Host of the Take the North podcast. We're going to take the North and never give it back.
Chapter 2: How did the Bears' young players perform in the game?
Dan Wiederer.
Thanks, Coach.
We'll go first to Dan Wiederer. On Chicago Sports Radio, 670 The Score. Weezy!
Dan Wiederer is the senior reporter for The Athletic covering the Bears. He is also the co-host of the Take the North podcast. And I joked that he abandoned Mark Grody Saturday night. But then I saw this adorable picture of you two just chatting it up in the tunnel after the Bears win. He joins us via the Circus Sports Illinois hotline. Download the Circus Sports app today.
Dan, you two really looked precious, you and Mark, in that picture. You guys looked so happy.
Adorable is what Dan and I go for. No, adorbs. Adorbs.
It is adorbs.
We are adorable, are we not, Dan? I mean, at the very least, we are adorable.
Credit to John Greenberg for getting the snapshot to capture that moment of delight as we were trying to unpack everything we had just experienced and give the people what they want, which is some take the North spin on whatever that was that we experienced Saturday night because that's going to be unforgettable and something that we're talking about
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Chapter 3: What were the turning points during the game?
I know we were talking on Monday and it's supposed to be more reflective than looking ahead, but I don't know if I'm going to talk to you again this week, Dan. So I got to ask you, how are you seeing the initial matchup with the Rams? I was very much, I would like to see the Eagles and, at soldier field because they're so wildly inconsistent. It matches the bears inconsistency.
And now that inconsistency has cost them a playoff spot. And I like the idea of the Rams coming here after beating the Seahawks for the NFC championship game. They're going to get the Rams earlier than that. I like this matchup too, though, for a bears team that is largely Jekyll and Hyde.
Well, on the topic of the Eagles, not only inconsistent, but bad vibes, really bad vibes for that team. And I think that, uh, Certainly cost them in the end. And you felt that a little bit yesterday. As far as the Rams go, you have to be a little bit nervous if you're the Bears defensive and understanding what you're dealing with.
You're dealing with a very accomplished quarterback who's very smart, very skilled. If Matthew Stafford is indeed fully healthy, he's going to present some problems. And he's also going to present problems with the two guys he throws the football to the most. Devontae Adams, who Bears fans know really well, and Puka Nakua, who they'll get to know really well on Sunday afternoon.
when he visits Soldier Field. And it's going to be a challenge for a secondary that hasn't done a great job of limiting the explosive plays. These guys can hit you in bunches with those if you're not careful. And so that part of the matchup is going to be fascinating. We're going to get a chance later in the week to talk to Dennis Allen, who's been on the wrong end of Puka Nakua before.
he'll probably give us a little bit of insight into why he's such a difficult cover, and they're going to have to find answers within the game plan to do better than they did in the first half, because guys, trust me, at 21-3 in the first half Saturday night, no one in the building felt like that defense was going to stand up enough to win that football game, and yet they found some answers in the second half, and
Here we are talking about a matchup with the Rams.
Yeah, no doubt. And look, their defense is nothing special, so I expect that Caleb will be able to do some damage against them. What did you think about Caleb Williams and being demonstrative on the sideline and kind of the way Ben Johnson is talking about it as well? I feel like he's kind of earned that. I didn't have a problem with it, Dan.
What did you think about Caleb being all loud on the sideline?
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